


That Which He Would Rather Forget

by ruthmakesstuff (orphan_account)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Character Study, M/M, Ostwick Circle, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 22:28:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5843365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/ruthmakesstuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tumblr prompt for Kaleb Trevelyan: Is there one event or happening your character would like to erase from the past? Why?</p>
<p>Alternately: Kaleb is an awkward baby gay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Which He Would Rather Forget

Kaleb didn’t really remember the first time Alden’s sleeve brushed against his. It wasn’t a particularly memorable occurrence, probably in some corridor between classes.

He wasn’t sure if he remembered the second, or the third time either, but eventually these little touches accumulated in a way that Kaleb couldn’t help but notice. A little brush off of an invisible speck from his robes, knees touching under tables, and lingering glances that held just a little too long, until one of them - usually Kaleb - broke away.

The attention wasn’t unappreciated on Kaleb’s part. Tall, dark and willowy, Alden was handsome - a little older, too, with the gravitas that came with having passed his Harrowing already. It was flattering, and it gave Kaleb cause to think.

He began to reciprocate the touches, and a little thrill of excitement ran through him whenever they were in the same room together. He didn’t mean to look, but he observed details that he memorised fondly - a smile higher on one side than the other, a habit of wild gesturing when speaking, and one tendril of hair that just would not stay in place. Alden would play up blowing the offending hair out of his face, pulling a comically exaggerated expression of frustration when it fell back. Kaleb would watch, and Alden would catch his eye, and now when Kaleb looked away, he blushed.

It was one day in one of the Circle libraries that it happened. They were sitting at a table together, and the bookcases were arranged in such a way that you coud actually be quite secluded, if the right place was chosen. Kaleb didn’t plan it, but they ended up in that location together that day.

The knee touch under the table that Kaleb had become accustomed to was present, and while they pored over books of magical theory together, his heart raced at the thought of what he wanted to do next.

He turned to face Alden, who faced him back. As they looked at each other, it felt to Kaleb as if electricity filled the surrounding air. Cautiously, he leaned in, gently tilting his head to one side as he closed the gap between them.

Alden did not meet him halfway.

Kaleb pulled back a little, confused, to find Alden frowning at him.

“What in Thedas was that about, Kaleb?” he demanded.

Kaleb swallowed, thinking quickly. “I thought - you had something on your face? With a stinger. I didn’t want to say and panic you, but I had to lean in and check,” he said, stuttering his way through the sentence.

Alden didn’t respond, but held his gaze with a previously unseen hostility.

“I should go,” Kaleb said, pushing his chair out from the table and swiftly making his exit. By the time he reached his dormitory, he was slightly out of breath, and there, leant against the door, he slid to the floor in shame.

**Author's Note:**

> It's really hard to be Kaleb.
> 
> If you want to send a prompt of your own, or talk, or anything really, you can find me on tumblr as kalebtrevelyan!


End file.
